Vehicle safety apparatus

ABSTRACT

Safety apparatus for use in vehicles traveling on roadways. The apparatus including a vehicle with a computer having accelerometers and gyroscopes coupled to provide signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, and centripetal forces produced by movement of the vehicle. A color coded slope map stored in the computer. A simulated color wheel overlying a level bubble matrix within the computer with a fixed orientation relative to the vehicle. The matrix including a simulated bubble floating within the matrix, and the signals applied to the simulated bubble so that the position of the bubble and the color of the bubble is only dependent upon the orientation of the vehicle. The computer comparing or mixing the color of the slope map to the color of the bubble at each location along the slope map and providing a warning when the color of the slope map and the color of the bubble are compliments.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to safety apparatus for use with vehicles, such as automobiles, to prevent wrong-way collisions and the like.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Because of the complexity of roads in the present day, many drivers get confused or do not pay proper attention to their driving. This confusion or inattention can result in wrong-way crashes and serious injury to people who are simply following the road. Many prior art attempts to solve this problem, including extra signage at trouble spots, have been suggested and implemented. However, once a driver becomes confused, extra signage may simply add to the confusion.

It would be highly advantageous, therefore, to remedy these and other deficiencies inherent in the prior art.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide new and improved vehicle safety apparatus for providing a warning when a driver is entering a trouble spot.

It is another object of the present invention to provide new and improved vehicle safety apparatus for providing a warning that a trouble spot has been entered.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly to achieve the desired objects and advantages of the instant invention, safety apparatus for use in vehicles traveling on highways includes a vehicle with an onboard computer and accelerometers and gyroscopes, the accelerometers and gyroscopes coupled to provide signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, and centripetal forces produced by movement of the vehicle. The vehicle having a longitudinal slope (S_(L)) and a cross slope (S_(X)) defining the vehicle orientation relative to the roadway. A color coded slope map stored in the onboard computer. A simulated free floating bubble within the onboard computer, the bubble having a fixed orientation relative to the vehicle and the bubble having a color dependent upon the vehicle longitudinal slope (S_(L)) and cross slope, and the signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, the centripetal forces produced by movement of the vehicle applied to the simulated bubble so that the position of the bubble and color is dependent upon only the orientation of the vehicle. The onboard computer comparing or mixing the color of the slope map to the color of the bubble at each location along the slope map and providing a warning when the color of the slope map and the color of the bubble are complements.

The desired objects and advantages of the instant invention are further achieved in a preferred example of safety apparatus for use in vehicles traveling on highways. The safety apparatus including a vehicle having a computer with accelerometers and gyroscopes coupled to provide signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, and centripetal forces produced by movement of the vehicle. A color coded slope map stored in the computer. A simulated color wheel overlying a level bubble matrix within the onboard computer with a fixed orientation relative to the vehicle, the level bubble matrix including a simulated bubble floating within the level bubble matrix, and the signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, the centripetal forces applied to the simulated bubble so that the position of the bubble and the color of the bubble is only dependent upon the orientation of the vehicle. The color wheel including an array of colors and their complements. The computer comparing or mixing the color of the slope map to the color of the bubble at each location along the slope map and providing a warning when the color of the slope map and the color of the bubble are complements.

The desired objects and advantages of the instant invention are further achieved in a preferred example of a method of providing safety warnings for use in vehicles traveling on highways. The method including the steps of supplying a vehicle having a longitudinal slope (S_(L)) and a cross slope (S_(X)), the vehicle including an onboard computer with accelerometers and gyroscopes coupled to provide signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, and centripetal forces produced by movement of the vehicle. Providing a color coded slope map in the onboard computer of the vehicle. Simulating in the onboard computer a level bubble matrix including a semispherical dome shaped housing filled with a clear liquid with a bubble freely moving inside the housing and simulating in the onboard computer a color wheel overlying the level bubble matrix, the color wheel including an array of colors and their complements, the color wheel overlying the level bubble matrix mounted in the vehicle so that the bubble presents a color from the color wheel indicating the longitudinal slope (S_(L)) and the cross slope (S_(X)) of the vehicle. The onboard computer comparing or mixing the color of the slope map to the color of the bubble at each location along the slope map traveled by the vehicle and activating a warning when the color of the slope map and the color of the bubble are complements.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Specific objects and advantages of the invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of a preferred example thereof, taken in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate automobiles travelling on a sloped highway;

FIG. 2 illustrate automobiles travelling in opposite lanes on a two-way roadway;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view of a level bubble matrix;

FIG. 4 is a top plan view of a vector or look-up table for a bubble matrix;

FIG. 5 is a top plan view of a color wheel;

FIG. 6 illustrates a two-way highway with a two-way crown (peaked in the center) with four different possible positions for vehicles;

FIG. 7 illustrates a two-way highway with an inverted crown (dip in the center) with four different possible positions for vehicles; and

FIG. 8 illustrates four possible vehicle positions on a divided highway with one lane in each direction.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For purposes of the present invention the term “roadway” is used herein to represent all surfaces on which vehicles may travel, including but not limited to highways, side roads, access roads, city streets, country lanes, etc. and is defined to include any or all of the above. Also, for purposes of this invention the term “vehicle” is defined as any device that can travel along a roadway, including but not limited to automobiles (cars), pick-up trucks, trucks, etc.

The tactile interface between a vehicle and the travel surface results in a measurable longitudinal slope and cross slope. Longitudinal slope is measured as the vehicles forward facing slope front to back of the travel surface that a human occupant associates with traveling uphill or downhill. Illustrated in FIG. 1A as an automobile traveling downhill and in FIG. 1B as an automobile traveling uphill. Cross slope is measured as the vehicles side to side slope of the travel surface which the human occupant typically does not perceive unless it deviates from standards. Cross slope is illustrated in FIG. 2 with two automobiles traveling on a two lane road with a two-way crown. Automobile 10 on the right-hand side slopes downwardly to the right and automobile 12 on the left-hand side slopes downwardly to the left. The longitudinal and cross slope components provide the difference from “location level” of the vehicle relative to the travel surface. At each geographic location this slope combination remains a largely reliable indicator of the vehicles location regardless of availability or limitations of visual indicators.

The reliability of the travel surface slopes allows various mapping methods to be used to assist in determining the vehicles geographic location and direction regardless of the visual indicators. Slope mapping is based on fixed long term engineered and constructed travel surface conditions. Engineered travel surfaces are designed to typical engineering standards at federal, state, and local levels. Slope mapping methods may include but are not limited to a level bubble, slope vectors, slope color coding, matrix look-up tables, etc. A color coded slope map is a map that assigns a specific color in a selected array of colors to every point along a roadway, where the color represents the longitudinal slope (S_(L)) and cross slope (Sx) of the roadway surface at that point. In the present invention, the preferred mapping method is to accumulate slope information from prior travelers stored on the web, cloud or automotive manufacturer mapping database(s) (i.e. Tesla). Some typical source are topographic mapping satellite, survey, AS-built, government records, GIS, GPS, Lidar, grid, DTM, tiles (avionics, Tesla and Google supplied}. This information is integrated into one map and the map is color coded to match the color coding system described below.

At the present time vehicles either include or can be provided with accelerometers and gyroscopes designed or programmed to provide signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, and centripetal forces produced by movement of the vehicle. Also, a computer is included in all vehicles at the present time, generally referred to as an onboard computer.

For purposes of explanation only, a level bubble matrix 20 is illustrated in FIG. 3 . Matrix 20 includes a semispherical dome shaped housing 22 filled with a clear liquid with a bubble 24 freely moving inside. Concentric circles 26 are delineated and divided or parsed into an array that results in a circular matrix representing the typical travel surfaces encountered. Level bubble matrix 20 is a representation of the travel direction slope (Sv) (see FIG. 4 ) and incorporates a quadrant slope system in addition to slope tolerances (i.e. ±S_(v)). The quadrant system introduces the dividing lines of the positive and negative of longitudinal slope (S_(L)) and the cross slope (S_(X)) and the matrix division of positive and negative halves of each slope.

Also, for purposes of explanation only, a color wheel 30 is illustrated in FIG. 5 . In color wheel 30 the primary colors, red designated 32, yellow designated 34, and blue designated 36, are separated by 120 degrees and include secondary colors. Tertiary colors may be included depending upon the level of slope detail desired. While the primary colors are used in this example, it will be understood that any array of colors can be used/selected as long as the colors of the slope map correspond with the colors of the color wheel. In the present invention, the computer onboard the subject vehicle is programmed to simulate color wheel 30 placed over level bubble matrix 20 which allows for a unique condition for comparing a vehicles location traveling in the correct direction relative to a map representing the correct mapped color to the travel surface slope direction. While an actual bubble in an actual matrix would be subjected to acceleration, velocity, and centripetal forces produced by movement of the vehicle, a simulated bubble 24 in a simulated matrix 20 is subjected to the signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, and centripetal forces produced by movement of the vehicle. Thus, the simulated bubble is an accurate indication of the exact position of the vehicle relative to the roadway and, through the simulated color wheel has a color representative of the orientation of the vehicle relative to the roadway.

The mapped color at any travel surface location is compared to the color position of simulated bubble 24 in the simulated color wheel 30 of the travel vehicle. Colors can be described and mixed using standard color designations (e.g. similar to mixing paint) or the colors can be described and mixed using digital designations. In the present invention the comparison is completed within the onboard computer.

Turning now to some typical examples of map and color wheel operation, FIG. 6 through FIG. 12 illustrate several different highway situations. Turning specifically to FIG. 6 , a two-way highway with a two-way crown (peaked in the center) is illustrated. Four different possible positions for vehicles are illustrated and designated 40 through 43. In position 40, the vehicle is traveling uphill in the right-hand lane. Thus, the vehicle is tilted clockwise toward the right and the front is higher than the back. This position moves bubble 24 into the upper left-hand quadrant of level bubble matrix 20 or in the green area of color wheel 30 (indicated by green dot 44 in position 40). The green of the color wheel/bubble will match the green of the map indicating that the vehicle is traveling in the correct direction. If the vehicle in position 40 is turned around, bubble 24 will move into the lower left quadrant, which is the compliment of the green map color, and the color of bubble 24 will turn black or brown (if the colors are mixed like paint) or white or black (if the colors are mixed digitally) indicating that the vehicle is travelling in the wrong direction.

Using the above description, it can be seen that for a vehicle in position 41 traveling down-hill in the right-hand lane bubble 24 will be blue (dot 46) indicating the vehicle is traveling in the correct direction and if the vehicle is turned around the bubble color and map color will be complements producing a black or brown dot 47 indicating a wrong direction. Similarly, a vehicle in position 42 traveling down-hill in the left-hand lane generates a purple dot and a vehicle traveling uphill in the left hand lane generates a black or brown dot. Finally, a vehicle in position 43 traveling uphill in the left-hand lane generates a green dot and a vehicle traveling down-hill in the left hand lane generates a black or brown dot.

Turning specifically to FIG. 7 , a two-way highway with an inverted crown (dip in the center) is illustrated. Four different possible positions for vehicles are illustrated and designated 50 through 53. In position 50, the vehicle is traveling uphill in the right-hand lane. Thus, the vehicle is tilted counter-clockwise toward the center of the highway and the front is higher than the back. This position moves bubble 24 into the upper right-hand quadrant of level bubble matrix 20 or in the yellow/red area of color wheel 30 (indicated by dot 54 in position 50) which matches the map indicating safe direction. If the vehicle in position 50 turns around (downhill) the bubble color will be the compliment of the map color indicating travel in the wrong direction.

In position 51, the vehicle is moving down-hill in the right hand lane so that bubble 24 is in the lower right-hand quadrant of level bubble matrix 20 or in the red/purple area of color wheel 30 (indicated by dot 56 in position 51) which matches the map indicating safe direction. A change in direction results in the bubble color being the compliment of the map color indicating travel in the wrong direction. Similarly, in position 52 the vehicle is traveling downhill in the left-hand lane and in position 53 the vehicle is traveling uphill in the left hand lane. Applying the above explanation, in both instances the vehicles will exhibit a color matching the map. However, a reversal of direction produces complimentary colors indicating a wrong direction.

Turning now to FIG. 8 , four possible positions on a divided highway with one lane in each direction are illustrated. Also, the highway is slanted upward and inward from the outer edge in both directions. A vehicle in the right-hand lane is traveling uphill in position 70 and down-hill in position 71. Similarly, a vehicle in the left-hand lane is traveling down-hill in position 72 and uphill in position 73. Applying the above explanation, in all instances the vehicles will exhibit a color matching the map. However, a reversal of direction produces complimentary colors indicating a wrong direction.

Using the above concept, by supplying a color coded slope map (e.g. by storing in the computer, supplying over the air such as WIFI, satellite, etc.) within the onboard computer and simulating a color wheel overlying a level bubble matrix in a vehicle, the color of the slope map and the color of the bubble in the bubble matrix can be compared or mixed at each and every location traveled to determine when/if a wrong way has occurred. This can be accomplished in its simplest form by simply overlying the slope map with the bubble matrix in the onboard computer. In general terms, this arrangement is referred to as a comparator comparing or mixing the color of the slope map to the color of the bubble at each location along the slope map and providing a warning when the color of the slope map and the color of the bubble are complements.

When the color of the slope map and the color of the bubble in the bubble matrix match a pure color will be produced to indicate there is no problem. When a wrong way occurs the colors will be complements and a black, brown or white mix will be produced. Because the slope map and the bubble matrix are present only in the onboard computer in a machine readable form, the driver is never aware of the situation (i.e. correct way color or wrong way color). Thus, some form of warning (bells, whistles, colored flashing lights, etc.) is provided by the onboard computer which is activated when complimentary colors are sensed. Additionally, while the warning signal can take many forms for the operator of the vehicle, it can also take the form of a warning to other vehicles having this system, and can also be a signal broadcast to other devices such as smart phones and the like, in a manner similar to an amber alert. The known technology of Vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication enables vehicles to wirelessly exchange information. The technology behind V2V communication allows vehicles to broadcast and receive omni-directional messages (up to 10 times per second), creating a 360-degree “awareness” of other vehicles in proximity. Vehicles equipped with appropriate software (or safety applications) can use the messages from surrounding vehicles, such as the warning of the present invention, to alert drivers and allow the ability to take action to avoid crashes. These V2V communication messages have a range of more than 300 meters and can detect dangers obscured by traffic, terrain, or weather.

Thus, the present invention discloses and provides new and improved safety apparatus for providing a warning when a driver is entering a trouble spot or for providing a warning that a trouble spot has been entered. The safety apparatus will operate on virtually any highway being traveled and is relatively simple and easy to install in any vehicle.

Various changes and modifications to the examples herein chosen for purposes of illustration will readily occur to those skilled in the art. To the extent that such modifications and variations do not depart from the spirit of the invention, they are intended to be included within the scope thereof which is assessed only by a fair interpretation of the following claims. 

Having fully described the invention in such clear and concise terms as to enable those skilled in the art to understand and practice the same, the invention claimed is:
 1. A safety apparatus, for use in a vehicle travelling on a roadway, comprising: a vehicle including an onboard computer and accelerometers and gyroscopes, the accelerometers and gyroscopes coupled to provide signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, and centripetal forces produced by movement of the vehicle, the vehicle having a longitudinal slope (S_(L)) and a cross slope (S_(X)) defining a vehicle orientation relative to the roadway; a color coded slope map supplied in the onboard computer; a simulated free floating bubble within the onboard computer, the bubble having a fixed orientation relative to the vehicle and the bubble having a color dependent upon the vehicle longitudinal slope (S_(L)) and cross slope (Sx), and the signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, the centripetal forces produced by movement of the vehicle applied to the simulated bubble so that the position of the bubble and color is dependent only upon the orientation of the vehicle; and the onboard computer comparing or mixing the color of the slope map to the color of the bubble at each location along the slope map and providing a warning when the color of the slope map and the color of the bubble are complements.
 2. The safety apparatus as claimed in claim 1 wherein the color coded slope map assigns a specific color in a selected array of colors to every point along the roadway representing the longitudinal slope (S_(L)) and cross slope (Sx) of the surface of the roadway at that point.
 3. The safety apparatus as claimed in claim 2 wherein the color coded slope map is an accumulation of slope information from prior travelers stored in one or more of the Web, a cloud database, or an automotive manufacturer mapping database.
 4. The safety apparatus as claimed in claim 3 wherein the accumulation of slope information includes data supplied from one or more of the following sources: a topographic mapping satellite, a survey, an AS-built map, government records, GIS (Geographic Information System), GPS, Lidar, a grid map, a DTM (Digital terrain Model), and tiles (avionics, Tesla and Google supplied).
 5. The safety apparatus for use in vehicles traveling on roadways comprising: a vehicle including a computer with accelerometers and gyroscopes coupled to provide signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, and centripetal forces produced by movement of the vehicle; a simulated color wheel overlying a level bubble matrix within the computer with a fixed orientation relative to the vehicle, the level bubble matrix including a simulated bubble floating within the level bubble matrix, and the signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, and centripetal forces applied to the simulated bubble so that the position of the bubble and the color of the bubble is only dependent upon the orientation of the vehicle, and the color wheel including an array of colors and their complements; and the computer comparing or mixing the color of the slope map to the color of the bubble at each location along the slope map and providing a warning when the color of the slope map and the color of the bubble are complements.
 6. The safety apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the array of colors and their compliments include the three primary colors and the color coded slope map is color coded with the three primary colors.
 7. The safety apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the roadways include any one of highways, side roads, access roads, city streets, or country lanes.
 8. The safety apparatus as claimed in claim 5 wherein the vehicles include automobiles (cars), pick-up trucks, and trucks.
 9. A method of providing safety warnings for use in a vehicle travelling on a roadway, comprising the steps of: supplying a vehicle having a longitudinal slope (S_(L)) and a cross slope (S_(X)), the vehicle including an onboard computer with accelerometers and gyroscopes coupled to provide signals compensating for acceleration, velocity, and centripetal forces produced by movement of the vehicle; providing a color coded slope map in the onboard computer of the vehicle; simulating in the onboard computer a level bubble matrix including a semispherical dome shaped housing filled with a clear liquid with a bubble freely moving inside the housing; simulating in the onboard computer a color wheel overlying the level bubble matrix, the color wheel including an array of colors and their compliments, the color wheel overlying the level bubble matrix mounted in the vehicle so that the bubble presents a color from the color wheel indicating the longitudinal slope (S_(L)) and the cross slope (S_(X)) of the vehicle; and the onboard computer comparing or mixing the color of the slope map to the color of the bubble at each location along the slope map traveled by the vehicle and activating a warning when the color of the slope map and the color of the bubble are complements.
 10. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the color coded slope map assigns a specific color in a selected array of colors to every point along a roadway representing the longitudinal slope (S_(L)) and cross slope (Sx) of the roadway surface at that point.
 11. The method as claimed in claim 9 wherein the color coded slope map is an accumulation of slope information from prior travelers stored in one or more of the Web, a cloud database, or an automotive manufacturer mapping database.
 12. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the accumulation of slope information includes data supplied from one or more of the following sources: a topographic mapping satellite, a survey, an AS-built map, government records, GIS (Geographic Information System), GPS, Lidar, a grid map, a DTM (Digital terrain Model), and tiles (avionics, Tesla and Google supplied). 